wantist...

I am wondering around the web late tonight and found WANTIST.  This site is so fun to browse...it spotlights super cool places, products, food, games, household things: basically - lots of things that could be gifted to well-deserving people in your life.  Very hip, unique gift ideas for all.  I love stumbling upon sites such as this.  It makes the lost hours of sleep so worth it.

Idaho Rehearsal Dinner...

 So... I have been putting this post off for a couple of months.  This Idaho Falls rehearsal dinner in that I helped with in July was not the greatest experience. Even as I gather these few photos - I wince a little as I review it in my mind.

The Dinner was to be held out on this lovely patio across the river from the Idaho Falls Temple.  BEAUTIFUL!  Big, spacious, classy patio with globe lights, couches and a fireplace.

Well, around 3:00 pm the wind started to pick up.  And it continued to pick up.  Tablecloths were blowing up - centerpieces were tipping - favor boxes were tumbling off - paper lanterns were destroyed - candles couldn't be lit - place cards could not be set.  The sign-in table even blew over.  The hostess (MoG) was insistent that the guests be seated outside.  The whole reason she booked the venue was for the Temple view.  Was she actually trying to control the weather?  Well...that was super fun.  About 45 minutes before the guests were supposed to arrive, she conceded, and the hotel staff hurriedly moved the tables inside.  But not into the ballroom - no!  The dozen tables were set up in the walkway between the ballroom and the windows looking out on the patio (and the Temple).

The guests waited patiently for us to finish setting up and trying to recover the decorations that had been ruined by the wind.  It finally became this:

But without the lights, the fireplace, the fresh air, the paper lanterns, etc.  The place cards didn't even make it back on the tables. :(  There was major chaos because everyone was trying to help - which was nice - but I no longer had any control over what went where.  The Sign-In table was cramped and up against a wall, the Seating Chart was not where anyone could see it, and the table with the framed Chinese Calligraphy Scrolls that I had hand-painted (for the family gifts) were right at the front where everyone else could wonder why they weren't getting one.  Ugh... 

After the 'hostess' went up to her room to regroup (cry), it went fine and nobody cared except her and me.  She was mad, I was mad, the hotel manager was I don't know what...trying to be accommodating.  One of the lessons I learned:  try not to put yourself in a position where someone can blame you for the bad weather.  Another...Accept and Allow!  Bad weather doesn't define a person, right?

Signs

I made these signs for a dear friends wedding...  she was one of the DHS students that I mentored all three years.  I adore her - and her husband!  They dated in high school and 'sealed' the deal yesterday at the temple.  I am so proud and happy for them!!

Color Party

Here's a look at a party that I helped with a couple weekends ago.  The theme was 'colors'.  The celebration was for a darling two-year-old ~ Lucy.  Lucy's mom, Carly, saw a cake on line that gave her the idea for the theme.  We added colorful banners and garland, balloons, vinyl for the walls and for a sign, colored masking tape and butcher paper for the table, cups of crayons for coloring and doodling on the papered table, veggies and fruit in all different colors, and bowls and jars filled with colorful candy.  We thought it was all really cute ~ and Lucy was absolutely loving the fact that she was the center of attention for the night.

Lucy's face as she watched everyone sing TO HER!

Check out the cake!  Super cool, huh?

Doodling!

For the cake, we used 2 white mixes, divided into 4 each.  I used gel coloring to get the really rich, vibrant color.  
The hardest part was under-estimating the amount of frosting that it needed.  (It took a lot!)  Also, serving was a bit tricky because it was so tall. :) 


By the end of the night, the table was covered with doodles and cake and ice cream and candy.  All we had to do was fold it up and throw it out.  Lucy was a happy, exhausted, birthday girl!

Wedding Wire

I found the Wedding Wire Blog months ago.  It is filled with great information! There are dozens of blog post contributors and two additional blog sites, all with beautiful photos, excellent resources, and some really great tips and advice.  I highly recommend browsing these blogs. Especially if you are even tossing around the idea of getting married.  You will be inspired!

Pom Balls

So ~ I occasionally dabble in event planning.  Parties, weddings, dinners, etc.  I have often been heard telling someone that "when I grow up, I want to be a wedding planner".  I'm 46.
The other day, my daughter from another mother, Carly asked me if I would show her how to make pom balls.  For as long as I live I will associate pom balls with the Burkholz/Stringham wedding.  I was lucky enough to plan the celebration for my dear friend Katie Burkholz with the help of her sweet mom, Lizzy, last summer.  Katie married the wonderful (and lucky) Jeremy Stringham.  It was one of the most magical nights of the year!   To a large degree the magic came in a van from Culinary Crafts.  They were amazing and fabulous, as usual.  But I would like to take a little credit for part of it.  Enjoy the photos.  Please link to the vendors sites if any of you are in the wedding planning stages.  You will not be disappointed.  And yes - we did MAKE all the pom balls ourselves.  I know.

The weather was PERFECT!  The setting was SPECTACULAR!  The occasion was JOYFUL!  The night was MAGICAL!

This cake was pictured in "The Knot" last spring.  We took it to Granite Bakery in Salt Lake and they customized it just for Katie.  I can't believe how many compliments it got!  The bakery said it was one of the most beautiful they had ever done!

Gorgeous copper roses and ivory hydrangea. Jen Bennett, floral designer, is an artist!  ...and here are the poms - awesome, right?

Copper and Ivory Linens...Tents with lights and chandeliers...twinkle lights and pom balls...sunshine and summertime!

I'm so glad that Jeremy and Katie got a moment to walk around and look at all the beautiful details before the guests arrived.  I try to suggest that to couples so that they actually have some memory of what their wedding looked like.  Once the night gets going - they will not have a second to themselves!

My sister's gorgeous backyard in Farmington, Utah was transformed into a fairy tale setting by Culinary Crafts.  Pure MAGIC.

We hired a huge 15-person photo booth - stocked with props!!  It was hiiii-larious!  The take home favors were these hand-stamped library pockets made to fit a copy of the photos taken in the booth.  A duplicate copy was signed and hung on a clothesline fashioned from copper wire and painted wooden stakes for the couple to keep as the 'sign in book'.  These were my original idea and I had my cute daughters help me stamp them - I thought they turned out super cute! ;)  Utah Jive arrived an hour before the event and set up the booth.  They were fantastic people-people - helping the guests sign their photos for Katie and Jeremy and making sure they took a copy for themselves.  It was extra super fun!

Katie and Jeremy spray painted these frames for the tables.  Together with the ivory vases, the votives and the beautiful flowers they looked perfect on the copper linens!

Crepe Station...complete with creme' fraiche and a 'to-die-for' orange rum butter sauce...mmmmmm!

Again - gorgeous set up from the Culinary Crafts crew.  I have hired them many times and they have never failed to WOW me!
Just in case you're wondering how I had time to take all these fabulous photos...well, I didn't!!  CC hired out knowing that they'd want to feature the event.  All of these pro photos were taken by Zuma Photo.

How great is this mosaic??  We had it blown up and then placed it on an easel along with a couple of magnifying glasses.  It was set up in between the entrance and the bride and groom - so people could have something to look at while they were waiting to congratulate the couple.

Here are a few images of the stationery that I designed for the wedding...invites, program, guest book, etc.  

 

Update:  Check out Pom Love for some ready made pom balls.  Really cool stuff!